The Portal of the Madonna della Misericordia from the Canal
Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner
1844
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner
1844
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Portal of the Madonna della Misericordia from the Canal is a 1844 ink by Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner, a Romanticism work, depicting Ruins, held at National Gallery of Art.
You see a tall stone archway, half-ruined, with ivy climbing the sides and a bright sky peeking through. Werner drew this in 1844 while traveling in Italy. He used thin, layered watercolor—called glazing—to make the light feel soft and real. The arch isn’t famous; it’s just a quiet corner he noticed. To see how other artists painted Italian ruins, look up Romanticism.
